Regenerating and purifying of ammonia.



L. WERLHN.

PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

REGENERATING AND PURIPYING 0F AMMONIA.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v4 WITNESSES:

INVENTOH A TTOHNE VS PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

L. WERLIIN.

REGBNERATING AND PURIFYING OF AMMONIA.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

% nvvavroe li auz's ifriz'z'n No. 824,459. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

L. WERLIIN. V REGENERATING AND PURIFYING 0F AMMONIA.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOH loaz'a i/erlzin UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

:LOUIS WERLIIN, OF ELSMERE, DELAWARE. REGENERATING AND PURIFYING'OFAMMONIA.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed J 11110 29, 1904.Serial No. 214.648.

Patented. June 26, 1 906.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, LOUIS WERLIIN, a citi-'zen of the United States, and-a resident of Elsmere, in the county ofNewcastle and State of Delaware, have invented new and usefulImprovements .in the Regeneratmg and Purifying of Ammonia, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

I The invention relates to ice-making and! regenerating and purifyingrocess can be carried on without the use 0 chemicals and in anexceedingly small apparatus.

The invention consists mainly in a method whereby the warm gases fromthe high-pres-' sure side of the compression-machine are used.

for evaporating the liquidanhydrous ammonia and the condensed gases arereturned to the receiver or to the expansion-coil.

The invention further consists in a method whereby the cold gases fromthe expansioncoil are used in the purification and regeneration of theevaporated ammonia.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ap aratus. F' .2is an enlargedsectional side eevation of t e regenerator and urifier, the sectionbeing on the line 2 2 of Fig. 4. 3 is an inverted sectional plan view ofthe same on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan viewof the same on the line 4 4 On top of a condensing-chamber A is arrangedan evaporating-chamber B, which in turn su ports at its 11 er end aurifyin or separating-chamber j as plainly illustraaed in Figs. 1 and 2.The condensmg-chamber A is connected by a pipe D, having a valve Di,with a discharge-pipe E, having a valve E and leading from thehigh-pressure side of a compression-machine F of any approvedconstruction. The condensing-chamber A is also connected by a pipe G,having a valve G, with one end of an expansion-coil H, and

the said pipe G is also connected by a branchv pipe G7 aving a valve Gwith a receiver I or containing anhydrous liquid ammonia.

The receiver I is connected by a pipe J,

the ammonia is possi-. ble at a comparatively small expense and the,

having a valve -J, with the evaporatingchamber B, so as to keep thelatter about two-thirds filled with anhydrous liquid am- 1 monia, thevalve J being so set as to maintain the liquid in the chamber B at auniform level. The top of the receiver I is connected 'by a pipe K withthe discharge end of a con- ,denser K, connected at its inlet-pipe Kwith the discharge-pipe E, previously mentioned,

and leading from the high-pressure side of the compression-machine F.

. In the top of the condensing-chamber A are secured tubes L, closed attheir upper ends, extending upward in the chamberB, so as to besurrounded by the liquid ammonia contained in the aid chamber B. Fromthe top of the chamber B, which top also forms a'bottom for the chamberC, extend tubes N u into the urifying or separating chamber the pipeseing open at both ends to allow the eva iprated ammonia to pass from thechamher through the tubes N into the chamber 0, which latter isconnected at its top bya pipe 0, havin a valve 0'', with the inlet orsuction side 0 the compression-machine F..

A pi e P, provided with a valve P, connects the ower end of thepurifying or separating chamber C with the discharge end of theexpansion-coil H, and the said pipe P is also connected by a branch pipehaving a valve P with the pipe 0, so as to allow the cold gases from theexpansion-coil H to pass either by the pipe P and valve P into the lowerend of the purifying or separatin chamber 0, or in case the valve P isclose and the valve P open to allow the said cold gases from theexpansion-coil H to pass-directly into the pipe 0 and to the suction endof the compression-machine F. Normally, however, the valve P is closedand the valve P is open.

From the bottom of the purifying and separating chamber C leads adrain-pipe Q into the lower end of the eva orating-chamber B, so thatthe impuritieswi be condensedin the chamber 0 and flow from the latterback into.

the evaporating-chamber B. From the bottom of the latter chamber leads ablow-ofi pipe R, having avalve R, and the said cham-.

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ression-machine is running and the valves O, P, D, G, and J are open andthe valves G P and R are closed, then a portion of the hot gases fromthe high-pressure side of the compression-machine F passes, by way ofthe pipes E and D, into the'conlensingchamber A and into the tubes L, sothat the liquid anhydrous ammonia in the evaporating-chamber B isquickly heated and evaporated, especially as the liquid inthesaidchamber is under low pressure owing to the connecting of thechamberB by wa of the pipes N, chamber C, and pipe O Wit the suctlon endof the compresslon-machine F. By the,

arrangement described the walls of the tubes L are constantly kept at alow temperature, owing to the continuous evaporation under low pressureof the liquid ammoniasurrounding the said tubes L within the chamber B,and consequently the gas readily condenses in the chamber A and passesby way of the pipe G into the expansion-coil H, from which pass thespent or cold gases by way of the pipe P into the lower end of the puri"ng-and separating chamber 0. As the co d spent gases pass into thechamber C they come in contact with the tubes N, heated by the gasesrising from the chamber B, so that the said spent cold gases aregradually warmed and rise in the-chamber C to 'finally'mix with thegases from the chamber B to form regenerated and; urified gases whichpass by Way of the pipe into the compression-machine F, from which thegases are discharged on the high-pressure side to the pipe E into thepipes D an K The portion of the warm gases passing through the pipe Kinto the conenser K are condensed therein, and the 'li uid ammonia flowsfrom the condenser bac into the receiver 1, so that the ammonia isconstantly used over and over again. Ifdesired, the valve G in thebranch ipe Gr ma be ened,so that the condensed ammonia om t e chamber Acan return to the receiver I, and, if desired, the valve P may be closedand the valve P opened, so that the cold gases pass directly from theexpansion-coil H to the pipe 0 and the compression-machine F instea ofpassin through the urifying and separating cham er G, as above escribed.The gases passing from the expansion-coil into the purifying andseparating chamberC have a twofold function in'that they keep the tubesN cold, so that any less volatile matter than ammonia contained in thegases rising from the chamber B through the tubes N are condensed andflow back through the tubes N into the chamber B, and any impuritiessuchas water, oilyand-the likecarried alon 60 with the spent gases from theeXpansion-coi H are retained in the lower portion of the chamberG andflow throu h the "drain-pipe Q down into the chamber while the dry gasesseparated from the water, oil, and like impurities, readily rise in thechamber '0 to mix with the gases from the chamber B, as previouslyexplained. It is to beunderstood that as long as the anhydrous ammoniain the generator is fairly pure then there is no difference intemperature between the gases coming from the expansion-coiland thegases from the anhydrous ammonia in the generator, and no action takeslace; but as the ammonia becomes gradua ly more contaminated more heatis required for vaporization, and the gases will be warmer in the sameproportion, and toward the end of the operation when the impurities arein excess the temperature of the gases maybe 40 to 50 above the gases'from the'expansion-coil, and it is at that stage of the operation thatthe chamber C is effective, as many impurities less volatile thanammonia would readily pass off with thepure gases, but by passingthrough the cold tubes N in chamber C will be condensed and returned toB. 'The refrigerant fluid should pass from the liquid-receiver on thehigh-i ressure side of the com ressor to chamber g) through valve J. Ithe anhydrous ammonia condensed in chamber A is wanted direct in theexpansion-coil H, G will actas an expansion-valve, (it is only a verysmall portion of the anhydrous ammonia needed in the expansion-coil thatwill pass that Way;) but if it is desired to deliver the anhydrousammonia to the receiver I instead valve G will be closed and valve Gropened, as before described; but in that case the apparatus must beelevated above the receiver. be seen, the valve G is onl supposed to actas expansion for the small amount of ammonia that is condensed in thepurifier, but has nothi to do with the main s stem. From the oregoing itwill be seen t at no chemicals-are used for the urification of'theammonia and no addi tiona or external heat is required for evaporationof the liquid in the chamber B. After the operation above described hasbeen continued, say, from one to two weeks the valve J is closed, andthen the evaporation is continued until all the frost in the gage-glassB has disappeared, and then the valve R is opened, so as to blow out theresidue in the chamber B through the pi e R, after which the valve R isclosed an the valve J is again opened to permit recharging of thechamber B with liquid anhydrous ammonia.

Although I have described the invention as using ammonia for the refrierant, it is evident that the invention a p ies equally well to systemsusing other re igerants than the one named.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Tatent 1. The method herein described of purifying therefrigerant gas used in refrigeratingmachines, consisting in compressingthe gas, condensing one portion, expanding a portion As will of thatcondensed to obtain the cooling effect, evaporating the remainingportion of that condensed, by the heat of condensation of the remaininportion of the warm compressed gas, pur' g the vapors thus produced, bythe action of the cold exhaust gas from the expansion device, mixing thecold exhaustgas and the purified vapors, and recompressing the same.

2. The method herein described of purifying the refrigerant gas used inthe refrigerat' ing-machines, consisting in compressing the gas,condensing a portion of the gas, subjecting the liquid refrigerant tothe *remaining portion of the compressed gas, to vaporize the same andto condense the compressed gas, expanding a portion of the condensed gasto cool the same, subjecting the gases from the liquid refrigerant tothe action of the cold spent gases, whereby the less-volatile impuritiesof the refrigerant gases will be condensed, mixing thes ent gases withthe gases from the liquid refrigerant, and compressing the mixed gases.

'3. The method herein described of purifying the refrigerant gas used inrefri cratingmachines, consisting in subjecting t e liquid refrigerantto the action of compressed gas to vaporize the liquid refrigerant andto condense the compressed gas, expanding a portion of the condensed gasto cool the same, subjecting the gases from the liquid refrigerant tothe action of the cold spent gases, whereby the less-volatile impuritiesof the refrigerant. I

Witnesses:

gases will be condensed, mixing "the spent gaseswith the liquidrefrigerant gases, and compressing the mixed gases.

4. The method herein described of purifying the refrigerant gas used inrefri eratingmachines, consisting in vaporizing t e liquid refrigerant,condensing compressed gas, ex-' panding a portion of the condensed gasto cool the same, subjecting the gases from the liquid refrigerant tothe action of the cold spent gases whereby to condense the less-volatileimpurities contained in the refrigerant gases and to separate the liquidmatter from the spent gases and free'said liquid matter of any ammonia,mixing the puriiied gases and vapors, and compressing the mixture.

. 5. The method herein described of purifying the refrigerant gas usedin refrigeratingmachines, consisting in vaporizing the liquidrefrigerant, subjecting the gases from the liquid refrigerant to theaction of cold spent gases, whereby to condense the less-volatileimpurities contained in the refrigerant gases and to separate the liquidmatter from the spent gases and free said liquid matter of ammonia, andmixin the purified gases and the vapors of the liquid refrigerant.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification 1n thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS WERLIIN.

WM. P. MORTON, WESTAR M. WEINTRAUB.

